dabbledb

Need to make complex graphs and charts which are accessible from anywhere there is internet? Yeah, me neither, but in case you ever do, try dabbledb out!

Project Management Tools

There are too many of them, yet none seem to quite do what I want. Everyone works differently and to make a software that is perfect is a challenge but so far, none come close, for me.

One of my biggest problems has to do with the fact that I detest iCal. As much as I want to like it, it is a completely dysfunctional piece of software that doesn't work in a natural way. Maybe I am just so used to Google calendars that iCal seems so backwards, but if I can't even see the time on an event without looking at the dumb drawer, then what is the point. Ok. I will stop the iCal bashing.... If only it was a good software tho, maybe my suffering would end.

Most project management softwares out there strive to integrate all the Mac apps... by doing this, it means Mac mail, address book and iCal serve as the content to which the project management software works, assuming we all love them.

Ok but the search still goes on for a project management tool or combination of tools that actually solve all the headaches and problems of managing project.

Here is a list of recent softwares I have run into. I will give a more concise review of those I try in the future:

• Freshbooks
• Highrise
• On The Job
• Actiontastic
• Home Business Trio
• HelpSpot
• Billings2
• Cadmio
• Studiometry
• Streamline
• Copper
• Cashboard
• Less Accounting
• Side Job Track
• Expression Engine
• Blinksale
• Voodoo Pad
• TimeNet
• Daylite
  

Whew, that's a lot!

iBoughtAMac!

No, I didn't buy my MacBook Pro yet (but I will soon!!!).



Straight from their site, this is what they're about:

"iBoughtAMac aims to deliver a well rounded collection of information for the Mac user. You've got questions, iBoughtAMac hopes to have the answers."

So far, looks like a pretty neat resource for all your Mac needs.

Quicksilver....

...maybe it's time I learn how to use it.

It's an app launcher that drastically saves you time, but it is also does file actions, such as locate your file, and do this and that to it. It is an intelligent software, meaning that it learns your habits and what you access most often. It is so versatile, probably the reason why I have stayed away from it for so long.

If you are curious about it, I found this really in-depth guide to using Quicksilver. It's compiled for very beginners to advanced users.

I shall be looking into this during the week and see if it finally sticks this time....

Update 06/19/07: It didn't stick... Ughh, it's not really working for me I guess...

SF Beta April

April 26, 6-9 PM @111 Minna Gallery

Full cash bar, gourmet catering by Sauce Restaurant, DJs spinning throughout the night, and a dozen startup demos.

Tickets: $10/20 Online, $15/$25 Door

www.sfbeta.com


UPDATE 05/03/07

Ehh, it was OK. I did enjoy countless free Hendrick's Gin & Ginger Ales, and a very good shoe shine... So I guess it was worth the 10 dollars... The food was non-existent tho, and the demos didn't thrill me. Many of them seemed dry and not too ingenious... I wasn't impressed. It is true tho, that amongst hundreds of software and web-app start-ups, only a hand full make it big, so I guess this provides the breeding grounds for innovation, which is well needed in this industry.

On My Desk

Creatives share with the world the environments they work in. Photos of desks, studios, drawing stations, inspiration dens, etc.... It's always fascinating to see how others work.

Here are two links dedicated to sharing views of work spaces:
On My Desk, Room to Work

Here is my old desk (wow, what a mess!):



Here is my current desk, at my home office:

JumpCut!!

Awesome! Video editing on-the-fly & sharing has just gotten better. With all the experimenting in white lab coats being done these days you are bound to get new webalishious developments making old webalishious sites seem drab and stale...



JumpCut makes YouTube look like a little munchkin playing with pots and pans....

OK, I have experience to back me up here. I have used both, and found myself distraught with issues on YouTube such as:

1. Voice syncing not working
2. Uploads not being smooth
3. Approval process for my uploads took days!
4. Uploaded videos had awful compression pixellation...
5. Ehh, the site looks messy, badly designed
6. Cannot edit, cut, re-mix your videos.

Now, with JumpCut, you can:

1. Enjoy a smooth and informative upload process
2. Upload more than one video at a time
3. Upload photos and audio tracks as well
4. Splice and edit your clips
5. Combine audio, photos and video clips with text and effects
6. Save it in minutes and
7. Share it easily with all or only just your friends, at the click of a button.

Oh, and 8. Aesthetically the site is pleasing and 9. Footage is of rather good quality!

JumpCut clearly speaks for itself. Try it out!!

bubbl.us

A really nifty online brainstorming tool! Wow, can this come in handy!

I recommend everyone try this out. You will be hooked. Create an account and save your brainstorms. I kid you not, this can really mean a difference to your planning and task and creative thought-process.

And... It's much more fun to use than pen and paper...

Upon exploring it further I found that on top of all that you can also collaborate on brainstorming with others, as a team! Perfect for team projects.

Lulu - Self Publishing

"An on-demand publishing tool for books, e-books, music, images, movies and calendars."

I have not looked deeply into this service yet, but from what it looks like, it takes the strain and costs away from working with a big publisher and allows you to control publishing of your own work, be it writing, music, art and more.

If it really does what it says it does, it can really be good for the small fish, competing with the big fish in the world...

I am working with a client that may be using this service soon, so I will update and give a proper review of Lulu when the time comes.

Some Mac and GTD linky-links

From The Efficient Mac User

• 11 Ways to Optimize Your Mac's Performance
• 13 Sources for Free and Shareware Mac Software
• Getting Things Done: 12 Task Management Solutions for Mac Users
• Getting Things Done: 9 Online Task Management Solutions

How to Crop a Raster in Illustrator

Tips on how to crop using the clipping mask, and better yet... Cropping permanently. I could never figure that one out...

But thanks to Anne-Marie, now I know!

Check out "How to Crop a Raster in Illustrator"

Kuler

This is a pretty neat development at Adobe. Make color palettes till past your bed time!

It is described as being "the first web-hosted application from Adobe Labs designed both to stand alone and to complement Adobe Creative Suite 2.", "Kuler is all about color: color for exploration, inspiration, experimentation and sharing."

With it you can easily search, create, and share color themes online, then you can download themes you like as an Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ase) file for use in Illustrator CS2, InDesign CS2, Photoshop CS2, and more.

Be weary though... They may soon start charging for this service as it is currently within their "lab" experiments. Once it's been perfected, they may charge, who knows. But if so, it would be dumb since all the content is user generated....

Reducing Bloated Illustrator Files

A tip coming from Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion.

In "Illustrator CS, you could run a built-in Action meant for just this task:

1. With your bloated file open, open the Actions palette (from the Window menu).
2. Select the tenth one down, Delete Unused Palette Items, and Play it.
3. If you've already saved the file, do a Save As and overwrite the previous file.

Running this action and overwriting the file reduced my original rectangle.ai file from 436K to a far more palatable 120K. Woo-hoo!"

This could really be a space saver if all my Illustrator files were re-saved without the unused palettes.....

MailChimp

"MailChimp makes email marketing easy.You can build signup forms and permission lists, design HTML email newsletters, track opens and clicks, manage bouncebacks, unsubscribes, and so much more..."